That’s all from CommBank Stadium tonight, as the Maroons take the early lead in both the men’s and women’s series.
Nick Tedeschi has our match report tonight, if you want to relive Queensland’s victory or figure out where it all went wrong for NSW.
NSW have plenty to work on, but unfortunately for them, Queensland have room for improvement too. NSW will be sweating on the return of Penitani to give them a much-needed boost in attack, as well as hoping Kelly’s larynx injury is resolved in the next three weeks. The next game will be at Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium on 22 June – a rugby league mad city that will be thrilled with the opportunity for a live Origin match. We’ll see you then!
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That’s a big win for Queensland, NSW will now need to win the second game by nine points or more to take the series. The Blues had a lot of changes going into the match, so will be hoping for a more settled lead in for game two. But they’re going to have to do it in enemy territory in Townsville.
FULL TIME! NSW 10-18 Queensland
NSW make one last desperate play at the line after a high tackle gives them a penalty to make some ground up the field. They can’t make it through the Queensland defence and the Maroons celebrate.
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69 mins: There’s scrambling in attack and defence and NSW look like they might score, but they can’t find the line despite throwing absolutely everything at it. A knock on from Fuimaoto gives the ball back to Queensland and it’s going to be tough from here.
67 mins: NSW complete their set and they’re looking desperate to force some kind of an error from Queensland. But the Maroons march down the field and put up a big kick. NSW try to make their way up the field, but it’s hard going.
65 mins: Tonegato collects a high ball, a good confidence boost after her earlier dropped ball, but Robinson collects her and takes her straight into touch to give the ball to Queensland in good attacking position. But Mato knocks it on and the Blues get another chance. The clock is against them and they need to score soon.
63 mins: In the blink of an eye, the Maroons are back making a play at the try line, but they can’t score this time – NSW’s defence holds strong. Tonegato makes no mistake in collecting the grubber kick and NSW complete a decent, but not sensational set. Southwell looks to be in a bit of trouble after a late hit on her following a kick.
61 mins: Pelite and Bass stay down after a fairly standard looking tackle and we take a little bit of time for everyone to catch their breath and the trainers to assess the situation. Bass gets up fairly quickly, but Pelite looks to be in a bit more trouble and eventually leaves the field. Temara kicks it straight down Tonegato’s throat on the fifth tackle but Tonegato uncharacteristically puts the ball down and Queensland get another opportunity.
59 mins: We’re getting into the business end of this game. The Maroons lose the ball on tackle one, 10m out from their own line and NSW celebrate like they’ve already scored. They will want to take advantage of this now and not just hand the ball straight back. Dodd makes a run at the line, but the Maroons close the gap.
57 mins: Joseph has passed her HIA, which is good news for the Maroons. NSW can’t take advantage of the drop out and Apps knocks it on to give Queensland the scrum feed, but then they put the ball down. Some tiredness creeping into this game now. Sergis agains finds her way through a gap and she’s heading for the line, but she can’t keep control of the ball.
55 mins: A lucky break for NSW with a wayward pass going to ground, but it’s Queensland who knock it on and the Blues get the ball back. Southwell puts in a nice grubber and Tonegato nearly gets to it, but Upton is forced to play at it and send it dead in goal for Queensland’s first goal line drop out.
53 mins: The conversion attempt from Southwell misses wide and the deficit remains 8 points. NSW look to have renewed vigour after that try and make their way up the field after the kick off.
TRY! NSW 10-18 Queensland
NSW get close to the line, and on the fifth tackle, they force a knock on from Queensland in a desperate swipe of the ball. They can’t take advantage of their field position, swinging the ball out wide to Jaime Chapman to score.
49 mins: NSW desperately need to get some ball in hand, this game is starting to slip out of their reach. Sergis makes a brilliant break, kicks ahead and looks to be taken out of the chase by Upton, but the referee says play on. Fortunately for NSW, a mistake by Queensland soon after gives them back the ball.
47 mins: The conversion from Temara is unsuccessful and the difference remains 12 points.
TRY! NSW 6-18 Queensland
Queensland power down the field again and leave NSW scrambling. Robinson almost has another opportunity on the wing, but Chapman pounces with desperation to send the ball dead in goal for another goal line drop out. NSW’s defence can’t hold against these repeated attacks and now Robinson has her second try of the match.
43 mins: The conversion is unsuccessful from Temara and Queensland go on the attack again. NSW give away yet another penalty, this time for a tackle without the ball – it is Togatuki again and she leaves the field soon after. HIA protocols are underway for Joseph and she leaves the field.
TRY! NSW 6-14 Queensland
A nice run out of dummy half by Davis looks to start something for NSW, but Ciesiolka steals an intercept. Chapman runs her down, but Queensland is patient with the ball and gets it over to Bass for another try.
39 mins: Sergis looks for an offload, but she can’t control the ball and knocks on instead. Queensland get a scrum feed on the halfway line. Elliston leaves the ball behind in a tackle and the ball goes back to NSW. The game hasn’t got any less messy in this second half.
37 mins: The second half is underway and Kelly won’t return – she has been taken to hospital as a precaution. Robinson is on report for that elbow. Boyle starts the half with a great run and NSW set their intentions early with a strong set. Their defence is strong and disciplined to follow up.
It doesn’t look like great news for Kelly, with the captain reportedly suffering a larynx injury.
Concerns for Isabelle Kelly after copping a forearm to the throat in this encounter.
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Half-time: NSW 6-10 Queensland
Well, that was a frenetic half from both teams, but it was Queensland who were able to pull ahead and take the lead into half time. Isabelle Kelly is in some distress and has gone straight to the sheds after a raised elbow from Robinson in a tackle – we’ll keep an eye on her and see if she will come back for the second half.
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CONVERSION! NSW 6-10 Queensland
Temara knocks it over and consolidates the lead for the Maroons.
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TRY! NSW 6-8 Queensland
Close to the end of the first half and NSW will be ruing their errors after Queensland make them pay. Gray rolls through a few defenders and slams the ball down.
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32 mins: The sets have started to settle down a bit now, the nerves have calmed and we’re getting more completions. NSW give away a silly penalty – a lifted tackle from Togatuki, but Queensland can’t make them pay, with an error from the restart. Then NSW make an error from the scrum feed – what was I saying about more completions?
30 mins: Phew, OK well about a thousand things happened in that two minute block. Robinson made a brilliant break off a kick receive, Shenae Ciesiolka kicked ahead for Upton, Tonegato tried to pull it in, Robinson got it again and finally knocked on. It was all very exciting, but for no scoring play.
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28 mins: Queensland are back in NSW’s half for the first time in quite a while and they make it count by forcing back-to-back sets. Brill probably needs to ask for her money back on her jersey, she’s losing her number already. Fuimaono pulls off a one-on-one strip to get the ball back for NSW.
26 mins: A really nice half break from Tonegato – she is one to watch this game, she’s sure to make some magic happen at some point tonight. Another pressure release by the Blues with Pearson this time not putting up the pinpoint kick she would have hoped for to put Queensland back on the attack.
24 mins: Good pressure built from the Blues, but Southwell releases it with an inaccurate kick that heads over the sideline and goes back to Queensland deep in NSW’s half. They do a good job containing Queensland and keeping them inside their own half.
22 mins: This game is swinging so wildly I can barely keep up! No sooner do Queensland have the ball, but they make an error of their own and NSW have it back. Kelly makes a nice little half break down the wing to gain some ground. Sergis finds another hole, but loses the ball on her way. Then Pelite runs past the ball and it goes to ground again to go back to NSW.
20 mins: The Maroons kick off and immediately give away another penalty. But NSW can’t take advantage, knocking on in the tackle and Queensland have a scrum feed.
CONVERSION! NSW 6-4 Queensland
Southwell converts the try and NSW pull ahead.
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TRY! NSW 4-4 Queensland
Apps has come on to the field, got immediately into the action and Jess Sergis powers over the line carrying four Maroons with her to open NSW’s scoring.
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16 mins: NSW pick up a penalty straight away, getting themselves down the field and out of danger. There’s a dodgy looking tackle on Boyle, but nothing is called. The Blues pick up another penalty on the fifth tackle with a marker offside.
14 mins: Aside from those first couple of minutes, it’s been all Maroon so far this match. A good kick from Temara forces Tonegato to push the ball into touch in goal and they have to take a drop out and give the ball back to Queensland for another set in NSW’s half. Finally NSW force an error, with Brill knocking on, and NSW finally have the ball back.
12 mins: Another penalty for the Maroons, the Blues are going to have to be careful about giving away so much ground. It seems in no time at all that Queensland are back up at the line, there’s a knock on from NSW and again Queensland are on the attack with back-to-back sets.
10 mins: The conversion attempt from Temara is unsuccessful and Queensland again receive the kick off. One of the count back methods for a drawn series is the first try of the series, so a tick there for the Maroons.
TRY! NSW 0-4 Queensland
NSW drag Power into touch, but the ruling is that the tackle was held so they get the ball back through a penalty. Now it’s the Maroons building pressure at the try line and Julia Robinson finishes it off on the wing for the opening try of the match.
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6 mins: A much better start to the set for the Maroons this time, but on the fourth tackle, a loose pass from Upton heads over the sideline. Fortunately there was a touch from the Blues, so Queensland get the scrum feed and another shot at a completed set from 30m out.
4 mins: It’s a strong first set from NSW, building pressure on the line right from the start. But late in the set, Southwell makes a mistake in the play the ball and the ball is turned over before they can make Queensland pay. The Maroons get the scrum on the 10m line and pick up an offside penalty on the first tackle to piggyback them up the field.
2 mins: A disastrous first set from the Maroons, with Mato dropping the ball in the tackle into Boyle. There’s a captain’s challenge in the first minute of the game, but it is unsuccessful. NSW get the ball on the 40m line. Queensland makes it worse by giving away a penalty almost immediately.
Kick off
Here we go, we’re underway in Origin I. NSW with the kick off and Keeley Joseph with a strong first carry.
The teams are out on the field now – we have a Welcome to Country by Aunty Julie Jones to welcome the the teams to Dharug country. Kick off is not far away.
Interesting to note that Kezie Apps has shifted to the interchange bench for NSW – there has been quite a lot of movement around from that originally named line up. We knew some changes would be required with Penitani out, but this is probably more change than most people were expecting.
Team list - Queensland
1. Tamika Upton
2. Julia Robinson
3. Shenae Ciesiolka
4. Evania Pelite
5. Emily Bass
6. Tarryn Aiken
7. Zahara Temara
8. Shannon Mato
9. Destiny Brill
10. Keilee Joseph
11. Tazmin Gray
12. Shaniah Power
13. Ali Brigginshaw
Interchange
14. Emma Manzelmann
15. Jessika Elliston
16. Sophie Holyman
17. Romy Teitzel
Team list - New South Wales
1. Emma Tonegato
2. Jaime Chapman
4. Isabelle Kelly
14. Taliah Fuimaono
3. Jessica Sergis
6. Jesse Southwell
7. Rachael Pearson
10. Millie Boyle
9. Keeley Davis
13. Kennedy Cherrington
11. Olivia Kernick
12. Yasmin Clydsdale
16. Brooke Anderson
Interchange
8. Kezie Apps
15. Sarah Togatuki
17. Shaylee Bent
19. Quincy Dodd
We’ve still got some time before kick off and there’s no better way to spend it than by reading some things I wrote previously. As an added bonus, they’ll get you right up to speed on this game and give you some things to yell during the game aside from “She’s been doing it all night ref!” and “That was forward!”
Preamble
Well with last night’s warm up match now complete, we’re ready for the big game! Mate against mate, state against state, it is truly the most wonderful time of the year. For the first time, the women are taking part in an Origin series, rather than a standalone game. Sure, it’s a two-game series rather than the three games the men get, but it is double the amount of women’s Origin we got last year, so we’re definitely moving in the right direction.
In bad news for Sky Blues fans, winger Tiana Penitani has been ruled out of game one with a hamstring injury. Reports out of the Blues camp say that Penitani sustained a minor strain late in the training week and was given until today to prove her fitness, but was not able to complete the captain’s run. Quincy Dodd has been named as Penitani’s replacement in the team.
